Auctioneers have learned to cope with a myriad of meteorological challenges year-round, from bone-chilling blizzards to terrifying tornados, but the last thing Jeanne Bertoia and her team expected to deal with over the weekend of April 16‱7 was a volcanic eruption.
A cloud of ash drifting from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland, which had erupted twice in less than a month, enshrouded much of European airspace in the 48 hours prior to Bertoia’s sale of the Donald Kaufman collection, Part III. The volcanic ash forced the cancellation of many flights and disrupted air traffic across northern Europe, stranding thousands of passengers. Among them were toy collectors with plans to attend the 3,700-lot sale at Bertoia’s gallery.
“Most of the Euros made it out just before the cancellations, although David Pressland was one of the travelers stranded in London,” said Jeanne Bertoia. “Fortunately, we were able to move quickly to accommodate anyone who requested a last-minute phone line. Many others bid live via the Internet, so no one was left out.” The auction went on to gross $2.38 million.
This was the first Kaufman auction to feature comic character toys, a category that has been somewhat soft in recent years. Buyers reacted to the introduction of fresh, top-quality comic character toys from a long-held collection with unbridled enthusiasm. Europeans bidding remotely on German examples from the collection gave new impetus to the comic toys, especially those made by Distler, Gunthermann, Eberl and Tippco, the latter being the company that produced a circa 1932 Mickey and Minnie Mouse motorcycle that sold for $65,550. “That’s almost as much as the one that sold with a box!” a voice in the audience piped up after the hammer fell on the lot.
A collector favorite, a circa 1932 Distler Mickey Mouse organ grinder with a miniature Minnie that “dances” atop the barrel organ was presented with its original, profusely illustrated box. Estimated at $10/12,000, it easily scampered to $19,550 and into the hands of a bidder in the room.
Early automotive toys continued the winning streak evident in previous Kaufman sales. A rare circa 1920 clockwork fire pumper made by Germany’s premier toymaker Marklin sped past its estimate to settle at $48,588, while a boxed 1896 Faivre (French) rendition of a Panhard Levassor nearly doubled its high estimate at $26,450. An exceptional example of a four-seat tourer, a Bing tinplate double Phaeton, 13 inches long with composition chauffeur, rolled serenely to $25,300.
A circa 1900, 12-inch French tourer with robin’s-egg blue racer-style body, two bisque-head figures and original box fetched $27,600, but the top lot of the early European tin category was another Marklin production †a circa 1903 hand painted four-seat tourer with white body and mango-colored, faux-tufted seats. Against a high estimate of $35,000, it earned its bragging rights at $55,200.
A circa 1924 American National Packard coupe pedal car with wicker-style door panels and a fancy eagle hood ornament was the subject of considerable interest at the preview. It ended up selling over the phone for $43,700. A 1920s American National pedal fire truck with full rack of original ladders garnered an above-estimate price of $32,200.
Choice examples of figural biscuit tins from the Kaufman collection included a rare Gray Dunn blue motorcycle with red sidecar. Against an estimate of $8/10,000, it soared to $18,400.
Sally Kaufman, wife of the late Donald Kaufman, co-founder of K-B Toys, who died in October 2009, attended the sale together with members of her family, and graciously chatted with bidders. After the auction, she was guest of honor at the fete Bertoia’s hosted to pay tribute to Donald Kaufman.
“We had estimated the sale would do $2 million, which it well exceeded, and even though it wasn’t a $4 million sale like the Kaufman debut, line by line and item by item, it was the best sale we’ve ever had,” Bertoia Auctions associate Rich Bertoia summarized. “Sometimes in an auction, there are high and low fluctuations from one lot to the next. This was a very smooth, steady sale with interest in every single item. The auctioneers didn’t have to work to get the opening bids they wanted.”
As statistics go, the auction earned its place in the record books. Combined with the gross figures from Kaufman I and II, the April 2010 sessions pushed the cumulative total for the Kaufman series so far to $9.3 million †easily the highest amount ever achieved at auction by a single-owner antique toy collection. And there is still more to come.
Prices reported include the 15 percent buyer’s premium.
Bertoia Auctions will present the fourth session featuring the Donald Kaufman collection on September 24′5. For information, www.bertoiaauctions.com or 856-692-1881.
